Close Encounters with What???

I am veering into the realm of religion for this blog. Those of my readers who do not ascribe to orthodox Christianity, I beg your patience.

This is a brief listing of some of the teachings of Jesse Duplantis. I've made some comments in between quotes.

“When someone dies, the opposite occurs. God is there to receive that breath of life back to Himself. When God breathes out, things come alive. When He inhales, that life goes back into Him. Think about that.” “When my mother died, I heard her breathe her last breath. God spoke to me then and said, “I just did to your mama the same thing I did to Adam.” God had breathed life into my mother when she was coming into this earth. He then received that life given breath back unto Himself as she was going out” (p.15 Heaven Close encounters of the God Kind.).

Does this mean there is no one in hell?

“I saw new lives of little babies singing and flying around God's Throne. It seemed to me that babies just came out of the breath of God. They looked like they were wearing nightgowns. They flew into the presence of Jehovah. I realized they were new souls who came from the thoughts of God. God thinks kids. Now I know why those newborn babies are so precious. Babies are gifts given to us directly from the Throne of God. I heard them saying to God, "Can I be a spirit? Would you send me to the earth so I can be a spirit? I want to be a redeemed person. Can I be a spirit?" And while I watched, I heard that mighty sound of God's power, Whooosh! I saw these babies leave the Throne by the power of God. (Heaven Close encounters of the God Kind p.119).

This sounds like it lines up with Mormon doctrine.

"I've never had the Lord say, 'Jesse, I think that car is a little bit too nice.' I've had vehicles and the Lord said, 'Would you please go park that at your house. Don't put that in front of my house. I don't want people to think that I'm a poor God.'" (Jesse Duplantis, "When Will We Yield To The Anointing of Wealth II," April 10, 2005)

Jesse Duplantis: "People told me, 'Well, they say, Jesus was poor.' When was He poor? I would like to know when He was poor. Well, He was born in a stable. Why? Why was He born in a stable? Because that short, deaf lady lost their reservation. He couldn't get into the inn. Think about that for a minute...And He had 12 full time people on His staff. Some were married and He took care of them. He had 70 part timers. You don't gamble for rags Marcus."
Marcus Lamb: "Yeah."
Jesse Duplantis: "You don't gamble for rags. You gamble for some clothes that cost. Don't you? He wanted a donkey that had never been rode. As I said earlier, 'You might want a car that has never been drove.'
Marcus Lamb: "He had a full time treasurer on staff."
Jesse Duplantis: "That's right! And stole for three years and the other guys didn't know about it."
Joni Lamb: "And wise men came to see Him."
Jesse Duplantis: "That's right! I mean He wasn't three minutes on the ground and the three wise guys are looking for Him with what? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Let me tell you something, this concept that Jesus was in poverty is totally wrong!" (Jesse Duplantis, Marcus Lamb, and Joni Lamb, Daystar Fall, "Share-A-Thon," September 15, 2004)

By the way - the Wise men, the kings, did not get to Jesus until he was around 2 years old.

"If I give $1,000 dollars I deserve to get back $100,000 because I am just, that's not greed!" (Jesse Duplantis, December 19, 2003 TBN, "The just shall live by faith.")

Sounds like greed and excess to me!

"With fierce prayers and determination to see my mother healed, I started talking to God. "What is going on here?! I'm praying! Dad's praying! Why isn't she healed? You cannot allow death to defeat me, God. You made a covenant with me through Jesus' blood! And that covenant says by His stripes we were healed! Where is that healing? If you break this covenant with me, you'll have to cease to be God! You must keep covenant with me. You must obey your Word!" I was honest with God. He knew how I felt, so what was the point in hiding it? I was confused. I was hurt. I didn't know what else to do. That is when God spoke up, "Jesse, I have a covenant with you, yes. However, I have one with your mother as well. You are praying for her healing. She is praying in her heart for Me to take her home. Now, I will obey My Word. But you and your daddy are battling your mother's will. It is her life at stake. You have Me in a hard place, Jesse. Someone has got to give in. Get yourselves together and tell Me what I am to do! (Jesse Duplantis, "My Experience Doesn't’ Change God’s Word," Article C-Faith)

Does God really need our help to decide what to do?

I did not write this next excerpt, but it shows, just like many other passages do, how anti intellectual Mr. Duplantis is. This man was awarded an honorary doctorate, and is still dumb as a stump about many scriptural issues.

The clincher is when Jesse tells us that the name of Jehovah is used in heaven. As the angel says “You have an appointment with the Lord God Jehovah” (ibid. p.69). The angel also fell down, saying, “The Most High God Jehovah! Hosanna in the highest!” (ibid. p.70) “The great God Jehovah!” (ibid. p.81) “The angels with wings were circling the Throne, singing and shouting, “The Great God Jehovah!” (p.114) This is a BIIIG booboo on Duplantis’ part. The name Jehovah is a made up name, it is a slang word put together by a Roman Catholic monk who took the vowels and the Tetragrammaton and made a new word. Even the Jewish Encyclopedia says it is a mis-pronunciation of the Hebrew YHWH the name of God. This pronunciation is grammatically impossible. The form “Jehovah” is a philological impossibility.” (The Jewish Encyclopedia p. 160) So when Duplantis is saying the angels are praising and using this name it is just nonsense. So where was Jesse taken to?

The Forgotten Word Ministries has more info on "Dr" Duplantis. Duplantis is extensively quoted on that site.

Duplantis is a false teacher, anti-intellectual (check your brain in at the door because you will detect the false teaching in a heartbeat if you don't), and a charletan who is totally given in to the Word of Faith lifestyle where all the leaders are little kings and live that way. If you are into Orthodox Christianity, give Duplantis a wide bearth, and warn others as well.

Radiant

Ecological Indulgences

"Ecological Indulgences" That's what Charles Krauthammer called the practice of the rich buying "carbon credits" in offset their wasteful lifestyles. God forbid the wealthy actually ride a bus to get anywhere, or turn off their heated pools, or sweat at any time except when they work out on their expensively produced and energy consuming exercise equipment! Perish the though of Gore cutting back the energy consumption of his own home (one month's energy bill for him is about 20 times one of our energy bills for a YEAR).

The Carbon Credit business is a total scam that is thriving on the guilt of the wealthy. They can somehow "buy" their way out of global warming. HA! All the while the real work of ecological change is being done by those who live the simplest - the poor. It's hard to waste energy when you can't afford to keep your lights on for long. It's mighty hard to blow horrible carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when you can't even afford a car and have to walk, bike, or ride a bus everywhere.

Krauthammer's article also demonstrates the negative effect "carbon credits" have on developing countries, citing the forcible taking of farmland so "carbon credit" trees can be planted. From the article:

GreenSeat, a Dutch carbon-trading outfit, buys offsets from a foundation that plants trees in Uganda's Mount Elgon National Park to soak up the carbon emissions of its rich Western patrons. Small problem: expanding the park encroaches on land traditionally used by local farmers. As a result, reports the New York Times, "villagers living along the boundary of the park have been beaten and shot at, and their livestock has been confiscated by armed park rangers." All this so that swimming pools can be heated and Maseratis driven with a clear conscience in the fattest parts of the world.

The liberal infatuation with environmentalism is proving to be a hypocrisy. And why should concern about the environment be an exclusively liberal issue. I'm an unabashed conservative - in our household we use a wood stove for heat so we don't burn too many dinosaurs, we ride our bikes, live simply and are not consumed by greed and "keeping up with the Jone's". My kids don't vegetate in front of video games, nor are they inoculated from life by i-pods and other such devices. We use an energy efficient evaporative cooling system, and recycle cans. All this while the liberal wealthy purchase and travel to excess and buy 'carbon credits' to "offset" their indulgent lifestyles.

If they want to spend their money on excesses, let them go ahead. But puh-leeze don't put on the self righteous pall of concern about the environment while you do. BE HONEST!